A group promoting a “no” vote on a property tax increase that would fund increased service for The Rapid bus mass transit system says hybrid buses the system uses are not worth the money, and a proposed high-speed bus line would duplicate service.

“At a time of budget cuts, high unemployment, and record deficits, this is not an efficient or responsible use of tax dollars. We must be better stewards of our public monies at times like these,” said Eric Larson spokesman for Kent County Families for Fiscal Responsibility (KCFFR).

Rapid Spokeswoman Jennifer Kalczuk said the group is giving the false impression that the millage funds would be used to purchase more hybrid buses and that they would be used for the high-speed bus line proposed along Division Avenue.

“The millage is for operating the proposed improvements. The millage funds won’t buy any vehicles, hybrid or otherwise,” she said.

If the millage is approved May 3, Rapid leaders say bus frequency on most routes would increase. That would be accomplished by using mostly federal funds to purchase 17 additional buses, a mix of both hybrid-electric and regular diesel, Kalczuk said.

Larson's opposition group said the first two hybrid buses The Rapid purchased in 2007 - at a cost of $510,000 each, compared to about $290,000 for a regular buses - were touted to reduce pollution and double the miles per gallon of a regular bus.

But, he says, through Freedom of Information Act requests the group has been unable to verify The Rapid is working with Grand Valley State University to measure the effects of hybrid buses to determine how much more efficient they are. And, Larson asserts Rapid buses average 4.45 miles per gallon and hybrid-electric buses average 5.13 miles per gallon.

Kalczuk said in fact Grand Valley State University leaders are currently studying hybrid-electric buses, but that study is not yet complete. And, she added that Rapid leaders are unable to find any Freedom of Information Act requests from Larson's group to verify or dispute his claims.

"We have no record of a Freedom of Information Act Request," she said.

If voters approve the new seven-year 1.47 mill levy that millage would be used to implement the first five-year phase of a recently approved 20-year master plan.

The first five years of improvements would include extending night and weekend service on some routes, increasing bus frequencies, and extending some routes.

It also would generate enough money to operate the Silver Line, a proposed “Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)" route along Division Avenue from downtown Grand Rapids to 60th Street in Gaines Township.

The BRT system resembles a traditional bus route, but mimics the speed of light rail with buses traveling on the road with exclusive use of car lane at times, and traffic signals tweaked to keep them moving as fast as possible.

The BRT proposal would be built with $32 million in federal funds, and $8 million from the state, but the money will only be given out if the money to operate the system is already secured.

In 2009, Kent County Families for Fiscal responsibility opposed a millage request voters in six cities shot down renewal and increase that would have generated about $3.3 million a year to operate the Silver Line.